In response to Hilton Head Island’s need for workforce housing, Town Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a Workforce Housing Framework that commits the Town to working with the community to plan, manage and fund home initiatives.
The resolution approving the Framework authorizes and empowers Town Manager Marc Orlando to take the necessary steps to develop, implement and carry out strategies and tactics identified in the Workforce Housing Framework. It also directs him to allocate $1 million annually for workforce housing, beginning with the current fiscal year.
“Adopting this Framework is a big step forward in addressing this challenge for our community. This Framework is a promise to make a difference for our working families, those who aspire to raise children on the Island, and our employers that are seeking to attract and retain workers,” said Mayor John McCann. “If we’re committed to the sustainability of our community, we’re committed to housing affordability. We have a unique opportunity at this moment to take advantage of the community’s alignment on this issue and invest in a multi-faceted program to address the challenge.”
The Workforce Housing Framework is supported by four foundational pillars, with each having specific goals, strategies and critical first steps necessary to accomplish the mission of the Framework. The four pillars include:
- Community. The goal of this pillar is to engage, collaborate, and inform the community on housing challenges, and to identify community-led housing programs and solutions. Strategies include developing partnerships and relationships with community organizations and establishing a housing action committee.
- Planning. The goal of this pillar is to create a social, political, and economic environment that stimulates workforce housing through planning, policymaking and programming.
- Management. The goal of this pillar is to establish a management program and policies to advance workforce housing opportunities. This includes adding dedicated Town staff for planning and coordination and exploring the creation of a professionally managed housing organization.
- Revenue. The goal of this pillar is to provide a consistent, sustainable, and multi-sourced revenue model for funding workforce housing initiatives and partnerships. Through this goal, the Town commits to a funding plan that meets the needs of a multi-year workforce housing action plan.
“Adoption of the Framework is a critical first step that moves us in the right direction to strategically advance workforce housing on Hilton Head Island and participate in local and regional solutions,” Orlando said. “The Workforce Housing Framework gives me and my team the confidence to act on strategic initiatives and solutions that will result in availability of homes for our working families – the healthcare workers we rely on, the firefighters and deputies who protect us, the teachers who educate our children, and so many others. They have a stake in our community and should have an opportunity to live here as well.”
The Workforce Housing Framework, including goals, strategies and critical first steps, is available on the Town’s website at www.hiltonheadislandsc.gov/workforcehousing/framework/. For more information, contact Missy Luick, Community Planning Manager, at MissyL@hiltonheadislandsc.gov or 843-341-4693.
Original source can be found here.
